There Is Beauty In Love
by Ygritte Kissed By Fire
Summary: The world had changed drastically. The Hellmouth had shuttered and collapsed beneath the weight of the despised Buffy. The reigning Slayer and hell had had more than enough of her thwarting of plans. Now, not only was Buffy still alive, breathing but her witch had managed to trigger the Slayer in every potential across the world. The First was no longer, and evil now raged beneath.
1. The Dream

The shift between good and evil hadn't seemed to slow the flow of demons and vampires that spilled from hell. Two weeks in L.A. and already the three Slayers had collectively dusted and destroyed hundreds of demons. It seemed hell was out to get them and boy was it furious. As the sun peaked over the tall buildings, the reigning Slayer laid her head meekly atop her pillow. Her head was throbbing and her body ached in unimaginable pain. No rest for the wicked meant no rest for the decent either. Next to her, curled in a ball was her young sister Dawn. Her sides heaved up and down peacefully, her eyes fluttering as her body tried to awaken. Their schedules were twisted and Buffy often slept while Dawn mosied around the hotel room in utter boredom. It seemed everyone but her and Xander spent the nights awake.

In the next room over Willow pulled her own tired Slayer into her arms, kissing her forehead softly and mumbling sweet nothings in her ear. Kennedy relaxed almost immediately and the Wiccan felt her own body ease. She had barely slept recently, spending her time worrying over Kennedy at night and thinking about Tara during the daylight hours. She had seen her that day, her radiant smile as she called on the power of the Slayers. She had been proud, looked it, and that face was all Willow could see when her mind wasn't entrapped in the new love she had found.

She felt guilty for the way her thoughts tangled themselves together but she couldn't seem to get control and quite frankly, she wasn't sure she really wanted too. She enjoyed the way her mind replayed the image, it was more pleasing than the previous. Tara limp in her arms, blood pooling at the hole in her chest. That was the last time she had seen, touched and heard Tara and the only words she had left Your shirt were quite frankly saddening to the red head.

"You're thinking about Tara, aren't you?" Kennedy voiced, her tone hushed but not in a manner that reflected disappointment, only comfort. Willow wasn't quite sure how to respond, taken aback by the words, by the fact that Kennedy was awake despite the long night of Slayage. Out of respect for her, she nodded, her face flushing red with nervousness but all Kennedy did was smile peacefully and wrap their fingers together. "You're allowed to do that, you know. I know you love me. I'm not worried... and I saw her too." the last part was a hush, almost as if she was unsure that the beautiful red head should know that she had peered into her minds eye, viewed the light that had shown so brightly above the witch's head.

"You did?" she asked softly, her voice meek, almost painfully nervous. Kennedy nodded, smiling softly. Willow wasn't upset, wasn't even fretting, in fact, it pleased her. It had been real. Someone else had seen Tara and to her, that set the whole world right again.

"She is proud of you" she murmured softly, leaning up to place a gentle kiss on the red-heads lips. Willow smiled against the pressure and returned the kiss, melting into it in such a way that left the two of them breathless.

"I know... I just wish I could hear her say it. Just one last time" she stated as the two pulled apart. Though Kennedy felt a twinge of disappointment in her heart, she understood Willow's meaning. She just wanted to hear it, to change the last of her thoughts of Tara. To right them. Make them perfect and she should get that. She should have it but cruel people had taken it away... but if Tara hadn't died where would that leave Kennedy now? Would they even have known each other? "I love you, please don't think I don't" Willow pleaded, her voice shakey as her free hand moved up to carress the Slayers cheek.

"I know, I love you" she returned, placing yet another gentle kiss on her lips. The red-head laid back, placing her head carefully upon Kennedy's chest, listening to the thump of her heart and the unusually slow pace of her breathing until at last, the two slipped into sleep, the world disappearing again.

"Willow" a voice sounded not far off, the redheads eyes snapping open. At her side rested the sleeping Slayer, her brown wavey hair framing her face in the most beautiful manner. Willow couldn't help but smile, the breath stolen from her chest but it hadn't been Kennedy's voice that had circled through her mind. She turned her head upwards, jumping back slightly when the mist like figure came into view.

"Tara?" was all she could muster before she sprung to her feet and ran to the blonde, her arms wrapping around her in pure delight. She felt her shift beneath her and once again their bodies melded together perfectly. How long had she been missing this? This touch? This feel? Like nothing else in the world mattered. It was her and Tara. Yet there was a question that wouldn't leave her mind. What was she doing here?

"I came to warn you" she remarked, as if she head read the wiccans mind. Willow stepped back slightly, blinking at the beautiful blonde. Warn her? The first was gone and it had only been two weeks since they had destroyed the Hellmouth. They hadn't even decided where they were going at this point, just trying to find slayers. Trying to get their lives together. She blinked in confusion.

"Warn me?" she asked briefly, taking yet another step back, admiring the female before her but with a prick of worry filling her heart. Something was wrong, clearly, the worry was painted across Tara's face.

"Something is picking off the new Slayers one by one. They are confused and unaware of their new powers and what it means. The council doesn't have enough Watchers for everyone." the blonde faltered, her figure fading out momentarily before she righted herself "You have to move on. You have to find the other Slayers." she stated, a sadness in her heart as her form shimmered, fading from sight.

"Wait, please don't go" Willow cried, a tear forming at the corner of her eyes. Tara simply smiled sadly and reached out to place a hand on Willow's cheek. The pressure was light but it was enough.

"I am already breaking the rules coming to you, but I had to see you. I'm proud of you Willow." Tara paused and looked back at Kennedy "And so is she" she stated. Willow glanced at Kennedy and in the time it took her to look back, Tara had faded.

Willow awoke with a start, tears pouring down her face. Kennedy stirred beside her, her eyes fluttering open. It took her all but a minute to realize that Willow was in distress and her arms shot out, wrapping themselves around the girl she loved.

Tara's words had meant more than anything to Willow but particularly, the last three. So is she. Kennedy loved her, possibly as much as she had loved Tara and the thought made her heart swell. She returned the hug that had been kindly forced upon her and fell into the brunettes lap in a mess of tears, letting herself fall apart for the first time since she had returned from the Coven in England.


	2. The Dead Slayer

Willow had fallen asleep not long after the strange encounter, wrapped tightly in the arms of her lover. Kennedy had kept her arms wrapped tightly around Willow for the entire night, peacefully calming the red-head until at last she had drifted off. There were no words to explain the way the red-head had felt and so she said very little as she cried pitifully against Kennedy's shoulder, her arms wrapped daintily around her waist. Kennedy hadn't slept well, nervous that Willow may wake in a panic, and so her mind lead her to the image of Willow's glowing face, her hair turning white if only for a moment, giving her goddess status. Above her, Tara's face shown down with a sure smile of pride, her eyes entrancing the beautiful witch that Kennedy now held protectively in her arms.

There was not much for Kennedy to say to Willow when tears had flooded her eyes, so instead she let her fingers slide through her hair, trailing it down her spine until her quivers of grief became quivers of pleasure and her muscles relaxed and granted her the luxury of sleep. It took hours before Kennedy herself succumbed to the beautiful gift of sleep and before long the sun had risen and Willow began to stir.

She was not at all shocked to see that Kennedy had stayed at her side through the night, oh no, she was pleased beyond all shadow of a doubt and lingered quietly for several moments before she finally slid from the Slayer's arms and crept quietly through the hotel halls and up to Buffy's room. She tried not to knock hard, unsure if Buffy or Dawn were awake at this time of day but to her surprise both were, as well as Giles, Faith and Xander.

"No one invited me to the get together?" she asked, feigning hurt, but the smile plastered across her pale lips told a different story. She settled herself in a chair next to Xander who, comfortingly, reached out and grazed her shoulder with his fingertips. It was a loving gesture, the black haired man with his pirate patch had been her best friend since kindergarten and there was nothing in the world that could tear them apart, not even an apocalypse. He had proven that to her first hand, when he stopped her from destroying the world after Tara had been so unfairly taken.

It was her loss of control that still kept her from using the full extent of her powers, though she had made an exception, albeit a terrifying one, for the night that they had destroyed the First. Now, it looked as if something else was going to bring chaos into their already hectic lives. Buffy and Faith returned to their frantic conversations and Willow couldn't help but listen in, though their words were rather hushed.

"This is all they have been doing" Xander stated with a half shrug. He was used to this, the way the Slayers chatted without including anyone human but recently he didn't mind so much, burdened with terrible thoughts of Anya dying, her body laying somewhere in the wreckage that once was Sunnydale. He couldn't bear to this of her death as if she was little more than a pawn in the world. How she had died and Andrew had lived was beyond him and even now he held hate for the geek who got to stand next to her in her final moments. He almost wished it had been him, trapped in that bitter whole but he had somehow managed to live.

Willow felt Xander tense and her hand reached out to touch him, resting on his shoulder just as his had on her own moments before. He seemed to relax, breath escaping his lungs in uneven spurts but Willow's attention had reaffirmed itself onto the two Slayers who now looked at them with concern. Willow shifted awkwardly and Xander seemed to shrink down in his chairs. The weak links, that's what they were currently. Both shattered and irrevocably changed forever.

"What's going on?" Willow finally spurted out, one hand running through her hair nervously. Both girls shifted uncomfortable and looked to Giles as if he held all the answers. Willow, confused at Faith's nervousness, tilted her head towards the side like a dog in confusion. What had left the normally rebellious Slayer so shaken?  
"One of the potentials... er... slayers that Faith and Buffy had been tracking wound up dead today" was all the watcher could say an immediately, no hesitation, flashes of Willow's odd experience the night before seemed to skip dangerously through her mind. She felt herself cringe, her head spin and a faint nausea creep into her stomach.

"What is it, Will?" Buffy asked, noticing the way the Wiccan's face seemed to pale. The way she sank into her chair like a darkness had consumed her every waking thought. Willow sat up quickly and glanced nervously at the door. Kennedy slept soundly in the room over, and Will could only hope that she stayed that way.

"Tara visited me last night..." she started and immediately all eyes in the room seemed glued to her. Looks of confusion, of sadness, and even worse... of pity all seemed to focus tightly onto the red-head. She shifted uncomfortably before continuing "She wanted to warn me... of this actually... she said we can't stay here, that we have to find the Slayers" she remarked, her words coming out awkwardly and not Willow like at all. She had been so enthralled with Tara the night before that he had forgotten the reason she had appeared. Buffy seemed to understand as she didn't question but Faith on the other hand, cared little for the wiccan's hurt feelings.

"Why didn't you say something immediately?" she snapped, her eyes flaring with irritation, which Willow returned fully. Their eyes seemed locked in a battle and Willow could feel the rage at Faith growing in the pit of her stomach until at last, Buffy knocked Faith slightly and returned her gaze to Willow.

"Did she tell you what was doing it?" Willow tried hard to think, to remember what exactly Tara had told her but she couldn't remember anything revolving around the cause of the deaths. Not a who and not a what. She blinked nervously before shaking her head.

"She just told me it was happening" she remarked and with that the five gave each other a weary look.  
"I guess we are leaving L.A." was all Buffy could muster up and a silence spilled over the room.


End file.
